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I never knew anything about 12 Step programs until….a crisis fell upon my suburban “perfect” little family. The crisis is called “addiction”. My oldest child at 20 years old was in the hospital in a drug induced psychosis. We had no idea what to do or where to turn. I talked to anyone I could for advice and found a friend in recovery from alcohol addiction. My friend, Michael told me that if I wanted to change anything I needed to get myself to a 12 Step program ASAP. I am a middle child and an overachiever so I went in with a vengeance thinking the sooner I do this, the quicker my son would be “okay”. The first thing I learned was that the program was not about changing my son but about changing myself. At first I thought this concept was crazy but this crazy concept is what got me to a life brimming with peace and serenity. It was not an overnight process and was filled with many bumps along the way but it was well worth the work to get where I am.

For today, my son is clean from all substances for 4 plus years and I have my friend Michael to thank for guiding me to a place I never knew existed. To show my gratitude to Michael for always being there for me I bought him a Golden Footprints In The Sand Prayer Ring from Rush Industries. I attached a note that said: “When you saw only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you. Michael, thank you for carrying me and showing me the miracle of the program. With much love and gratitude…..”

Upon reading the card, he had tears in his eyes and said if it wasn’t for someone who carried him into program, he would never have been there to carry me. The message of the 12th Step is to Pay It Forward. Thank you Higher Power and Michael for guiding me and always being there for me. I am ready, willing and able to Pay It Forward and guide someone in need into peace and serenity!

Have you ever heard it said that love cures? I heard someone say that love cures those who give it and it cures those who receive it. I’m not sure I believe it but a friend of mine who is battling cancer told me that this is what helped her through the challenges of her illness. She said love is no mystery, but its results are magical in many ways. It’s generally accepted by many people that a lot of illnesses are psychosomatic. Many of us often feel anxiously alone, abandoned, lonely, fearful, and unloved. As a result of these feelings we often express our need through our bodies. It is so sad that so many of us are so hindered. We have the power to change that if we are willing participants in a solution. The action one must take to achieve this is simple. The only requirement is the decision to act with favor toward one another. Try using your eyes and give a struggling person a loving look offering him or her the strength to try and try again and thus succeed with whatever their challenge may be. With no more effort than a genuinely warm glance, you can change the course of history today, tomorrow, always. She told me that she was so sick and was losing her will to live until two of her friends nursed her back to health. She said it was their love that nursed her back and she is now on the road to recovery.

Are you familiar with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)? I’ve written about this in the past but I will reiterate just in case. PTSD is a severe anxiety disorder that sometimes results after exposure to an event that results in psychological trauma, i.e. the threat of death to oneself or someone else or to sexual assault, or exposure to atrocities of war. People often experience flashbacks or nightmares, anger issues, anti-social issues and on and on. Believe it or not, they are now talking about PTSD in Canines of Combat. Hard to believe? Not really… Military dogs are trained for war, giving them a strong foundation to perform. They are trained to jump out of helicopters, repel walls and can even sniff out bombs almost two miles away. The jobs of these canines are irreplaceable. No matter how much preparation these dogs have actual combat can be just as traumatic as their human counterparts. It can take a tremendous toll on their psyches. Increasingly war dogs are sent home suffering with PTDS and it is now considered an official animal condition. PTSD can shatter a dog’s nerves. I heard it is estimated that at least 10 percent of these military dogs have developed PTSD but just like human counterparts they can be treated and retrained when properly diagnosed. Some of the dogs are treated with the anti-anxiety medication called Xanax just like humans.

With that being said I think it is a fabulous idea to send care packages to war dogs and their handlers. I found Cheap Army Rings at Rush Industries that would make a wonderful gift for the handlers. Why not send a handler an Official US Army Ring as a token of appreciation for all they do on behalf of our Country and our military canines who gallantly defend the United States of America. As far as care packages for the dogs, I am still searching for that special gift for the dogs but in the meantime maybe some doggy treats? I think they would appreciate that more than anything. I know that’s what makes my dog happy!

My eyes and heart are always open for personal growth. I learn so much every day from all different areas of life. I listen to OPRAH radio in my car on the way to work every day and I absolutely love her. She gives me so much inspiration and frequently has inspirational and spiritual guests on her show. Oprah always says: “Use Your Life As A Class” and I try to do that each and every day.

My Life Class yesterday was not from Oprah but from a Retired Navy Vet named Mark. Mark is an older gentleman who served in Vietnam and recently returned from Afghanistan. Here’s my Life Class lesson from Mark:

Mark: “I recently attended a class on happiness. I challenged the speaker who spoke about being grateful for the good in our lives, ‘That’s great and well for younger people who have hope for a good life of abundance and accomplishment. They have so much to look forward to. They have health and the energy to accomplish almost anything. But what about someone, like myself whose life is closer to the end than to the beginning? What about those who face daily challenges?’”

The speaker responded: “How have you changed as a person from the difficulties that you’ve experienced in life? Think about your experiences in Vietnam and Afghanistan and how that impacted the person you are today. Have you developed into a more mature person and a deeper thinker because of your challenges? What have you gained from what you’ve experienced that you wouldn’t have gained if you were to have an easy life of leisure?”

Mark: “My intellectual understanding of the purpose of life is much more profound and comprehensive than if I would have had an easy life. I have gained so much wisdom and appreciation from this life experience. As a result of my challenges I realized that our purpose in life is not just to live a superficial life of pleasure. My life has a spiritual dimension that is really the purpose of my life today.”

Speaker: “Are you grateful for having gained this wisdom and depth?”

Mark: “I certainly am, sir, my life is filled with abundance and I am so grateful for each and every moment, especially for my freedom and for the privilege to have served my Country.”

Speaker: “That is what is meant by being grateful for challenges. It’s not that you wanted to suffer and experience the atrocities of war, but that you are grateful for what you’ve gained spiritually and intellectually. Your eyes, heart and soul opened to allow the gratitude in.”

Wow! Profound and truly enlightening Mark, an A+ Life Class!

To show my appreciation for Mark’s Life Class I bought Navy Rings For Men for him and his son who is about to be deployed to Afghanistan. I pray for his safe return and for world peace. God Bless Our Military!

Have you seen Kim Kardashian lately? She is glowing! I know pregnant women glow but I suspect it is more than that. She looks absolutely amazing. I never saw her look so happy and radiant.

I’ve read that Kanye West has supposedly helped change her to value her private life more but then she was seen posing nude with him in a magazine…so much for privacy, right? In all fairness, it seems she is opening up about her views on marriage and motherhood. I don’t really understand what the fascination is with the Kardashian family to be honest. My youngest son loves them and I just don’t get it…

My son told me that he thinks she is really changing and has become a person of substance rather than the materialistic, shallow girl she seemed to be. He told me Kanye gave her a True Love Waits Ring for Valentine’s Day and she hasn’t taken it off since he gave it to her. Mind you, it is not a diamond encrusted, bling ring but a simple stainless steel spinner ring. I find it hard to believe that she is toning down her flamboyant, showy, glitzy style but you never know. Time will tell..

I would like to think that their relationship may last because it didn’t start off as a lustful one but rather as a friendship. They have been longtime friends and only started dating last year. An inside source told me that they are best friends who understand each other and help one another through difficult times. She also told me that Kim and Kanye are true hopeless romantics. They both said that they never believed you could have it all but they now know that you can. They want to be perceived as true soul mates and to give hope to the younger generation like my son and his peers. My son and his friends believe her almost fairy-tale childhood has finally fallen over into her adult life thanks to Kanye, her soul mate.

The kids believe the promise ring Kanye gave Kim serves as a token of their commitment to each other. But they are young and still believe in fairy tales. It’s great to be young and naive.

I am a bit pessimistic and not convinced that Kim has changed one iota. In fact, I’m pretty sure this change has been scripted by her publicity team and it has obviously been successful as you can see by the buzz from the kids.

True change or scripted? That is yet to be revealed but I do know that as soon as the press catches sight of the ring, Rush Industries won’t be able to keep them in stock. My son and his friends have already bought a bunch of the rings for their upcoming prom to give their dates. Reminds me of days long ago…

Did you know that our human connections help keep us from isolation. “United we stand, divided we fall”. I was a witness to a miracle last weekend. My son celebrated his 3 year anniversary of recovery and the whole family was present. The feeling of love & spirit filled the room to such a degree that it sparked many emotions beyond my wildest dreams. It was something so beautiful that its hard to describe unless you experienced something similar. We have been through some very turbulent years and have had to detach for long periods of time in order to save my own sanity. Not only did I detach from my son, I detached from many friends as well who were not able to be there for me in my time of need.

Initially when I detached, I detached in an unhealthy manner, sometimes with anger, sometimes with fear. The anger, led to loneliness and isolation. Until I found my way to the rooms of 12 Steps I was lonely and broken. I have found many new friends in fellowship who I have learned to trust and count on any time of day or night.

I had the pleasure and honor of presenting my son with his 3 year coin last weekend. There was not a dry eye in the room. Many people shared about how lucky my son is to have his mother, father, siblings and even grandparents present. I told my son how proud I am of his accomplishment but I also thanked him for my recovery. If it wasn’t for his struggle with addiction, I never would have walked into a 12 step program and found my own peace, serenity and a new way of living.

At the end of the meeting my son surprised me with a Religious Ring from Rush Industries. The ring is inscribed with “Faith” on the top with a small CZ to dot the “i”. He said: “Mom, I couldn’t have done this without you. At first, I stopped using for you, then I discovered that I needed to do it for ‘me’. Until I turned my fear into faith, I couldn’t recover. Thank you for being you and for always being there for me and having faith that I would find my way. I am so grateful we were able to mend our relationship. I will always cherish my connection with you Mom! I love you.”

My broken heart has finally healed…

We surround ourselves with the ability to serve others. It’s all about love, peace, courage, serenity & faith. Let love, light and peace surround you today, tomorrow and forever…

Close your eyes and imagine that the universe has your day perfectly designed right now… Can you imagine that every single moment, exactly what you need for the answers to everything you’re longing for and searching for are right where you are, right now? Believe it or not, God is present everywhere, in every moment of your day and life. Take a moment to say thank you God for the signs and signals that you are sending me this day. Thank you for all the ways you are showing up in my life this day and everyday. When we turn our eyes and our ears towards the Lord, it always turns into miracles. Rush Industries has a Stainless Steel Lord’s Prayer Ring on sale and it is the perfect gift for someone in your life who is searching for answers. Thank you Lord for showing up in my life this day and guiding me to the Stainless Steel Lord’s Prayer Ring. My perfectly designed day is now complete!

Do you know someone who has cancer? Have you lost someone you loved to cancer? Do you have cancer? Just hearing the word, scares so many. I have lost many people I loved to cancer but my greatest loss was my beloved mother-in-law who died from ovarian cancer. Unfortunately, by the time ovarian cancer is detected it is usually in the later stages and very difficult to cure. They actually call it ‘the silent killer’ for that reason. My mother-in-law suffered for two years after diagnosis until she passed. I have to tell you that I have never met a more courageous woman in my life. From the day she received her diagnosis she never lost her optimistic attitude. I was very close to her and one day as we sat over a cup of coffee and tears she hugged me and told me the best gift she could give me was a gift of attitude. She gave me an attitude of gratitude. She never let cancer corrode her faith, shatter her hope, destroy her peace, silence her courage, invade her soul, steal her eternal life, conquer her spirit, cripple her love, kill friendships or suppress memories. After her first chemo treatment, I was surfing the web one day and found a What Cancer Cannot Do Ring on sale at Rush Industries. The ring is etched: “What Cancer Cannot Do: corrode faith, shatter hope, destroy peace, silence courage, invade the soul, steal eternal life, conquer the spirit, cripple love, kill friendship, suppress memories.” Everything my mother-in-law tried to convey to me is not only etched on this ring but etched in my heart and my soul forever. Rest In Peace Mama! I miss you dearly!

“Sometimes I wonder how I’d ever make it through
Through this world without having you
I just wouldn’t have a clue
Cause sometimes it seems
Like this world’s closing in on me
And there’s no way of breaking free
And then I see you reach for me
Sometimes I wanna give up, wanna give in
I wanna quit the fight
And then I see you baby
And everything’s alright, everything’s alright”
When I see you smile
I can face the world
You know I can do anything
When I see you smile…”
My friend Dale told me when he was deployed in Afghanistan he would listen to Journey’s remake of this song and those words would help get him through his darkest days on the battle field. Military relationships are by far the most difficult because couples are often separated for long periods of time. But my friends in the military tell me that true lovers are never apart, maybe in distance but never in heart. Dale’s deployment ended early but he didn’t tell his wife and surprised her for Valentine’s Day. When she opened the door this morning, he was standing there with a True Love Waits Ring for his wife from Rush Industries. I captured it on video and hope to post it on youtube later today…Get your tissues ready, because you will definitely need them! Dale, you’re a true hero! By the way, check out the close up of the True Love Waits Ring on the youtube video. You may want to order one yourself. I did!

A day of blissful love… Have you found your soulmate yet? Do you believe in destiny? I found my soulmate in New York City quite a few years ago and I truly believe that our souls were destined to unite. I woke up this morning to a delicious hot cup of coffee in bed from my soulmate, my best friend. Valentine’s Day is one of my favorite days of the year. We get so caught up in day to day life that sometimes my soulmate and I are like “two ships passing in the night”. Valentine’s Day is a day to reconnect and remember why we are together. After being with someone for so many years, you often lose the romanticism. It is so important to keep a spark in your relationship. My soulmate bought me a “Two Souls One Heart” ring that was sitting on top of a hot chocolate croissant on the breakfast tray he brought me in bed this morning. Yum, yum, yummy!!! I have quite a few special Inspirational Rings that he has bought me over the years but this one is my favorite because we truly are two souls with one heart. I can honestly say my life is complete…. I am so in love even “after all these years”. What more could a girl want? I have a wonderful lover, friend, soulmate and confidante who caters to my every whim, and loves me with with all his heart! “I LOVE YOU TO THE MOON AND BACK” HONEY!!!